Catherine Dunlop

I practice in Work Health & Safety, coronial inquests, employment and government inquiries including Royal Commissions in the Melbourne and Canberra offices of Maddocks.

I assist clients in the public sector and in health, aged care, construction, retail, education and NFP sectors with all aspects of safety from compliance to serious injuries and fatalities including:
• Incident response
• Safety Investigations
• Safety Prosecutions (in Prosecution and Defence)
• Coronial inquests
• Bullying and Workplace investigations
• Safety compliance advice
• Training
• Policy Review
• Employment Privacy
• Royal Commissions and Inquiries
• Ill and Injured Workers
• Integrity and Ombudsman investigations

I have extensive experience over 20 years in providing incident response advice for hundreds of workplace incident and fatalities (including multiple fatalities) and offer a 24-7 service to assist clients in the aftermath of incidents. I have successfully negotiated enforceable undertakings for clients in lieu of prosecutions and has defended clients in prosecution hearings and appeals. I have particular experience in helping clients with complex bullying and harassment claims and workplace investigations

I have been peer reviewed as one of Australia's Best Lawyers in Safety in the Australian Financial Review/Best Lawyers since 2013 & was selected as the Lawyer of the Year in Melbourne in Safety for 2017. I was recognised in Chambers Asia-Pacific, commended in employment and noted as a Leading Lawyer in Doyles, and in Legal 500 with clients commenting of our safety practice that we field ‘a practical, responsive and genuinely specialised practice, which is easy to work with and provides good common sense advice’ and that I have ‘fantastic experience in WHS law and provides measured and practical direction in matters. She has excellent instincts, and is a pleasure to work with’.

I have acted in many significant coronial inquests and Royal Commissions in Victoria, Canberra and Sydney with particular expertise in complex hearings, often involving multiple fatalities and difficult issues of public and work safety. I acted for the Country Fire Authority in the Black Saturday Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission and the Commonwealth of Australia in the Banking Royal Commission.

I particularly enjoy working with my long-standing and newer clients alike on pro-active problem solving, listening to them and working with as a team with in-house lawyers on solutions and strategies.